1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for the supply of energy to an energy consuming device which is preferably located on a tractor drawn trailer vehicle.
2. Background Information
On a trailer vehicle pulled by a tractor vehicle, which is in turn powered by a motor or engine, the trailer may have an energy consumer, such as an anti-lock control system for the brakes, in which case it is customary to feed the energy consumer of the trailer vehicle with energy from an energy source provided either in or on the tractor vehicle.
Such an arrangement requires a relatively powerful energy source on the tractor vehicle. Moreover, the energy consumer on the trailer vehicle can only be operated if the trailer vehicle is coupled to the tractor vehicle.
A particularly disadvantageous aspect of such an arrangement is the dependence of the energy consumer on the energy source located on the tractor vehicle, particularly in the case where the trailer vehicles in question are part of a railroad train, since, on one hand, the energy source on the tractor vehicle (locomotive) must be very powerful, and on the other hand, when defects occur in the energy connections between the individual trailer vehicles, the energy consumers located on the trailer vehicles in question become inoperable.
Of course, it is conceivable that each individual trailer vehicle might be equipped with an energy storage device, which would supply the energy consumer or consumers of the trailer vehicle with energy.
However, such a solution has the disadvantage that the energy storage device losed its energy when the trailer vehicle is standing still for long periods of time, and when the trailer vehicle is put back into operation, the energy required for the energy consumer or consumers located on the trailer vehicle is not available.